BRADENTON, Fla. -- The public address announcer intoned: "Now pitching for the Tigers, Ryan Perry." Hundreds of seagulls hovered over the infield at McKechnie Field as cool winds swirled. Perry blew on his right hand before stepping onto the mound for his first chance to face major-league hitters.
"I had a lot of energy going," Perry said. "I was pumped. It was nice to pitch in front of this many people. And it's kind of surreal being here this early." At this time last year, Perry, 22, was at the University of Arizona. Detroit drafted him in the first round in June, and the reliever with the "electric" stuff has joined starter Rick Porcello, 20, as the Detroit players being watched with the most anticipation this spring.
The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 before 4,773 fans. Justin Verlander pitched three crisp innings and Zach Miner got roughed up for five runs in the fifth inning, with a three-run homer by Pirates center fielder Nate McLouth of Whitehall being the big blow.
But in pitching for the first time, Perry did not disappoint anyone. He did a nice job of using his fastball to set up hitters with his slider. Both of his strikeouts came on sliders, with Neil Walker going down swinging and Anderson Machado taking a called third strike.
"He was pretty much what I expected," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He had electric stuff and it was good to see him get out there. When you've got that kind of talent, it's pretty easy to be enthusiastic. He's obviously a top prospect."
But before the game, he did not even have a locker spot in the cramped clubhouse.
"I just hung out at the food table," Perry said.
Perry also allowed an infield single to Pedro Alvarez and walked Garrett Jones on four pitches. But he got the third out on a broken-bat grounder to first by Nyjer Morgan.
He said he took plenty of deep breaths to stay as calm as possible.
Catcher Alex Avila, a prospect drafted last year out of the University of Alabama who is impressing Leyland, went to the mound to settle him down when he started out with two balls on Jones, and again after the walk.
Avila told him, "Just throw it down the middle of the plate and let it move where it wants."
That cured the problem of pitches heading for the corner breaking out of the strike zone.
Lynne and Keith Perry, his parents, flew in from Arizona to watch Perry pitch. That made the moment that much more special.
"I was amped," Perry said. "I love it. It's what I thrive on."
Leyland will not rule out breaking camp with him. He likely will get some seasoning at Erie or Toledo.
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